Page 93 of Mayflower

Emotions overwhelm me. Must be the drugs that make me all sentimental.

“I love you, Maddy. And I never told you that I will go to the end of the earth for you. You need to know that. I’d give my life for you. I’d give up everything. If you love me, there’s no bigger weapon I’d rather have, and I’m good with dozens. You are the strongest and gentlest person I know. You are wishful kindness, beautiful, beautiful girl.” I smile at her, drowning in her luminous gaze. “Since I first saw you, I wanted you to call me yours.”

She brings her forehead to rest against mine. “You are. You were mine the day I called you Raven.”

I’ll never forget the day when she said my name out loud for the first time. “Outside Bangkok.”

“Yes.”

“You are incredible, Maddy Milena Tsariuk.”

Maybe she takes after her late mother. I wish I knew the woman who raised this beautiful girl. She was also raised among brutality and ruthless power, yet her kind heart didn’t harden.

“I want to make you happy, Maddy. I will love you more than the entire world of people can love you. I will?—”

“We, Rave. You mean we. We will love each other. We will. You keep acting as if I need convincing. I don’t. I already love you more than the entire world.”

Her smile glows as she takes my chin between her fingers and kisses me.

Someone said that to have the full depth of human emotions, one has to experience war, starvation, and love. I think my cycle is now complete. It’s the latter that I will hold on to forever.

EPILOGUE

SIX MONTHS LATER…

MADDY

“You two! Hey! Who is helping me with the tray?”

I walk onto the pool deck and watch my two favorite guys in the water. Raven is with his back against the pool wall, his arms splayed on its sides as he watches Sonny run out of the pool and jump in again with a loud splash.

This is our new villa. It’s three bedrooms, with an extra one for Sonny who lives with us now. There is a pool, because Sonny requested it. A TV, because, yeah, Sonny. Sonny doesn’t like to be called Little anymore. Raven takes him to the gym and teaches him boxing. So, Sonny thinks he is a tough guy now.

Raven has a tan, and nothing is sexier than my guy in swim shorts, his wet, dark hair slicked back, water droplets covering his scarred, inked skin. Sonny coaxes Raven to spend a lot of time in the pool with him. Archer said he’s never seen Raven in such a state of undress until now.

Raven has “guys’ days out” with Archer and Kat’s dad, Kai, Bishop, Marlow, Ali, and others. The Change seemed to have driven us apart. What happened on Zion half a year ago made us thick as thieves. Bo and Raven became friends. They have beers together, and Raven doesn’t even like beer. He’s trying for me, I know. He is enjoying being around people, and that’s a big step.

I cut up fruit and snacks that I bring to the pool.

Both Raven and Sonny are whispering to each other, conspiratorially sneering in my direction. Rave swims to the poolside closest to me, pushes himself on his arms, and gets out of the water.

I set the tray down on the little pool table and squint at him, trying to figure out what the deal is.

“Come for a swim,” he says, licking his lips as he straightens up, water dripping off him.

Oh, I see. “No,” I say with a smile. These two are like fish in the water, whereas I’m a little tired lately.

“Yeah, Maddy!” Sonny shouts. “Swim! Swim! Swim!”

Rave’s smile grows as he smoothes his hair. I start backing away, laughing and telling him that I will do something awful if he dares touch me, but in a second, he scoops me up in his arms, and though I pretend to be trying to get away, I secretly love it when he carries me around.

Sonny still chants, “Swim! Swim! Swim!” as Rave, still holding me in his arms, jumps off the side of the pool into the water. These are simple things that we cherish every day now.

Six months have passed since the day Butcher attacked Ayana. It was a horrible day, with several lives lost, but it was also the end of the menace that Butcher and his gang were.

The service personnel came back to Ayana. Port Mrei is no longer under martial law. Things are changing for the better fast.

Government subsidies and private donations helped restore Port Mrei’s infrastructure. My father’s investment as well as several of his partners’ help speed up the process.

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